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feugait acidunt lutat il iniam

Want a fi tness routine that can increase your fl exibility, tone your muscles—even calm your mind? Step onto a yoga mat and say “om.”

by Deborah Wilburn • photographs by Mark Vergari

www.intownconnect.com INTOWN 2006 35

36 INTOWN 2006 northern westchester

’ve never been much of a yoga fan.

It seemed too slow paced for my

hyperactive mind and body. When it

comes to exercise, I typically prefer

step, spinning, or body conditioning at

the gym. What could be more boring than

sitting around and breathing, anyway?

Still, I pride myself on having an open

mind. So when asked to survey the yogic

landscape in Northern Westchester, I was

both intrigued by the opportunity and

worried that I might need an alarm clock

to wake me when class was over.

Now, however, after having sampled

more than a dozen classes in studios

everywhere from Armonk to Yorktown,

I understand what all the fuss is about.

The workouts were not only challenging

(quite!), but I received psychic benefi ts

that went way beyond anything I’ve ever

experienced at the gym. Not only has my

stiff-as-a-board body begun to loosen

up, but most classes have been at least as

destressing as any session with a massage

therapist. I guess you could say that I’ve

become a certifi able yoga-maniac.

The type of yoga practiced in the West is

known as hatha yoga (a combination of pos-

es, breathing, relaxation, and meditation).

Within that tradition, however, different

styles have emerged, as developed by vari-

ous gurus (although all start with the same

basic poses). Bikram yoga, for example, works

in a studio heated to between 104 and 108

degrees, while kundalini yoga emphasizes

the importance of proper breathing.

What was amazing to me was the num-

ber of styles to be found in this one little

corner of the county. While novices may

feel perplexed by the choices, the best

advice is to try a variety of classes, as I

did, and choose the one that best fi ts your

personality and temperament.

The following six local studios are great

places to start. At each, you’ll fi nd excellent

instruction, a comfortable practice space,

and a welcoming atmosphere. If you’ve ever

thought about dipping your toe in the yogic

waters, now might be the perfect time!

KATONAH YOGA CENTERBEDFORD HILLS

Nevine Michaan, founder and director

of the Katonah Yoga Center, is consid-

ered the mother of all yoga in Northern

Westchester. Here, she leads classes in

“Katonah Yoga,” her own style developed

over 30 years of teaching. What makes

her style unique is, quite simply, Michaan

herself, given her mastery of yoga, her

understanding of the human body,

and the dynamic manner in which

she shares her knowledge. On a recent

Sunday morning, I visited an inter-

mediate-level class. As students began

warming up, I could see that I was

way out of my league and, while I felt

welcome to join in (there were a couple

of other beginners in the mix), I opted

to observe instead. Once class started,

she talked students through the asanas,

or poses, all the while gliding through

the room, teaching, physically correct-

ing alignment, praising, and challenging

students to go deeper into each pose.

“You have to do it well to get the mag-

ic,” says Michaan. As I watched, directly

in my fi eld of vision were three wom-

en with unbelievably lithe and supple

bodies who made even the hardest

poses look easy. At one point they did a

downward dog, which even a beginner

like myself can do a close approximation

of (for the uninitiated, you kneel on the

fl oor, spread your hands wide in front of

you, then lift your hips up into the air so that

your body forms an inverted V). But typical

of this class, the students start with a basic

pose and then take it to the nth degree. Sure

enough, at Michaan’s instruction, the wom-

en kicked it up a notch by rotating their

arms so that their fi ngers were facing them.

I thought to myself, Hmm, that looks easy

enough. So I got myself into a downward

dog, then tried to turn my hands around.

EEOOWWW! I think I’ll stick with the

basics.... Meanwhile, every student I spoke

with couldn’t praise their teacher highly

enough. “Nevine is unique,” says Stephanie

Arnold, a mother of three from Pleasant-

ville. “I used to go the gym, and working

out was a burden to me. But I could do yoga

every day. It’s changed my life.”

GOLDEN TEMPLE KATONAH

At Golden Temple, kundalini yoga, a

highly meditative style developed by Yogi

Bhajan, focuses not only on the poses, but

on mastering various breathing techniques.

Arriving for class one morning, I wasn’t

quite sure what to expect, given the small

platform at the front of the room where

there were pillows, a sheepskin rug, and

a large gong, among other things. This is

where the director and sole teacher, Rai

Kaur sits, to better observe her students.

She doesn’t come around to “fi x” you;

instead she offers gentle correction and

encouragement from the platform. The

class began with chanting, definitely

lending an otherworldly feel to the

class. Once the poses were underway,

however, I was brought back to reality,

doing what I could to hold my body

in the various asanas while trying to

breathe correctly through my nostrils.

In one basic pose, called head to knee,

we sat on the fl oor with one leg straight

and the other bent back. I have a sore left

knee, so when I bent that one back, hot

pain settled into the muscles around it.

I could have straightened it, but decided

to try to work through it (a mindset I

adopted for all of my classes). I was

stunned to fi nd that a couple of days later,

I had no pain in my knee!

Kundalini is considered one of the

more spiritual forms of yoga that some

say you need to be called to. One student

who feels the calling is Tania Edwards, a

42-year-old mother of two from Bedford

who attends class once a week. “As a busy

working mother, I felt I was doing every-

thing and nothing,” she says. “Kundalini

has helped me learn to slow down, focus,

and strengthen my body, mind, and soul.

I’m a lot calmer and happier now.”

So am I—I have a pain-free knee!

BIKRAM YOGA YORKTOWN HEIGHTS YORKTOWN HEIGHTS

I’ve never been much for sweating. But

truth be told, after a number of Bikram

classes—known as “hot” yoga because the

room is heated to between 104 and 108

degrees with 40 percent humidity—I’m

OPPOSITE PAGE, TOP: RAI KAUR LEADS A CLASS

AT GOLDEN TEMPLE IN KATONAH. BOTTOM:

NEVINE MICHAAN, DIRECTOR OF KATONAH

YOGA CENTER IN BEDFORD HILLS. THIS PAGE,

RIGHT: THE ALTAR AT GOLDEN TEMPLE. BELOW:

NEVINE MICHAAN HELPS A STUDENT DO

THERAPEUTIC REFINEMENT TECHNIQUES.

beginning to see the wisdom of ending a

workout looking like I just took a shower.

This style, the brainchild of Yogi Bikram

Choudhury, requires students to follow

a pattern of 26 poses that are followed in

sequence, with each pose done twice. The

idea behind the heat is that it keeps muscles

pliant, making it a safer way to work out.

Bikram Yoga Yorktown Heights opened

last May, and it’s virtually the only one

of its kind in Northern Westchester. I

decided to try a class one Friday evening,

thinking it would be a great way to release

tension after a long week at work.

The fi rst nice surprise was the studio

itself: The décor is spa-like, with sooth-

ing earth tones and muted lighting, and

clean—unlike Bikram studios elsewhere

that can verge on old-socks-smelly. Cer-

tifi ed teacher and owner Jane Kartsch

provides yoga mats and towels, which are

essential, since it’s hard to hang on to

your knee or leg in certain poses once

you’ve worked up a sweat.

When I walked into the practice room,

my fi rst thought was something along

the lines of, “You must be kidding!” It

felt like the thermometer was set at the

upper end of the A-OK range. By the time

our teacher, Maritza Johnson, walked

in, I’d already worked up a sweat, but—

duh—that’s the idea. Johnson proved to

be a knowledgeable, precise, and encour-

aging instructor. For example, in one

www.intownconnect.com INTOWN 2006 37

Arriving for class one morning, I wasn’t

quite sure what to expect, given the small

platform at the front of the room where

there were pillows, a sheepskin rug, and

a large gong, among other things. This is

where the director and sole teacher, Rai

Kaur sits, to better observe her students.

She doesn’t come around to “fi x” you;

instead she offers gentle correction and

encouragement from the platform. The

class began with chanting, definitely

lending an otherworldly feel to the

class. Once the poses were underway,

however, I was brought back to reality,

doing what I could to hold my body

in the various asanas while trying to

breathe correctly through my nostrils.

In one basic pose, called head to knee,

we sat on the fl oor with one leg straight

and the other bent back. I have a sore left

knee, so when I bent that one back, hot

pain settled into the muscles around it.

I could have straightened it, but decided

to try to work through it (a mindset I

adopted for all of my classes). I was

stunned to fi nd that a couple of days later,

I had no pain in my knee!

Kundalini is considered one of the

more spiritual forms of yoga that some

say you need to be called to. One student

who feels the calling is Tania Edwards, a

42-year-old mother of two from Bedford

who attends class once a week. “As a busy

working mother, I felt I was doing every-

thing and nothing,” she says. “Kundalini

has helped me learn to slow down, focus,

and strengthen my body, mind, and soul.

I’m a lot calmer and happier now.”

So am I—I have a pain-free knee!

BIKRAM YOGA YORKTOWN HEIGHTS YORKTOWN HEIGHTS

I’ve never been much for sweating. But

truth be told, after a number of Bikram

classes—known as “hot” yoga because the

room is heated to between 104 and 108

degrees with 40 percent humidity—I’m

OPPOSITE PAGE, TOP: RAI KAUR LEADS A CLASS

AT GOLDEN TEMPLE IN KATONAH. BOTTOM:

NEVINE MICHAAN, DIRECTOR OF KATONAH

YOGA CENTER IN BEDFORD HILLS. THIS PAGE,

RIGHT: THE ALTAR AT GOLDEN TEMPLE. BELOW:

NEVINE MICHAAN HELPS A STUDENT DO

THERAPEUTIC REFINEMENT TECHNIQUES.

beginning to see the wisdom of ending a

workout looking like I just took a shower.

This style, the brainchild of Yogi Bikram

Choudhury, requires students to follow

a pattern of 26 poses that are followed in

sequence, with each pose done twice. The

idea behind the heat is that it keeps muscles

pliant, making it a safer way to work out.

Bikram Yoga Yorktown Heights opened

last May, and it’s virtually the only one

of its kind in Northern Westchester. I

decided to try a class one Friday evening,

thinking it would be a great way to release

tension after a long week at work.

The fi rst nice surprise was the studio

itself: The décor is spa-like, with sooth-

ing earth tones and muted lighting, and

clean—unlike Bikram studios elsewhere

that can verge on old-socks-smelly. Cer-

tifi ed teacher and owner Jane Kartsch

provides yoga mats and towels, which are

essential, since it’s hard to hang on to

your knee or leg in certain poses once

you’ve worked up a sweat.

When I walked into the practice room,

my fi rst thought was something along

the lines of, “You must be kidding!” It

felt like the thermometer was set at the

upper end of the A-OK range. By the time

our teacher, Maritza Johnson, walked

in, I’d already worked up a sweat, but—

duh—that’s the idea. Johnson proved to

be a knowledgeable, precise, and encour-

aging instructor. For example, in one

pose, called bow, you lie on your stom-

ach, then lift chest and legs off the fl oor,

bending at the back in order to grab on

to your feet. Oh, and then hold it there

for awhile. I had that “I think my back is

breaking” feeling, but Johnson’s positive

admonitions to hold on kept me from

collapsing. In the end, I felt I’d given

myself a great workout (and had the

soaked clothes to prove it!). I guess that’s

just one of the reasons I love Bikram.

SAGE SEASONAL YOGA & MEDITATION CENTER ARMONK

This delightful and inviting studio focuses

primarily on anusara yoga, a fairly new

style created in 1997 by John Friend, an

American yoga master. The emphasis here

is correct alignment and a spiritual compo-

nent that centers on a “sweet celebration

of the heart” and “an invitation to know

yourself more deeply,” says Susan Rubin,

a registered yoga teacher who opened

her studio five years ago.

Seated on a wool blanket in one of her

recent level-II classes, we began by sound-

ing “om” and chanting before moving

into a series of challenging poses, like the

crow, in which you place your hands on

the fl oor and then place your knees on the

back of your upper arms. Right. Although

this wasn’t a hot yoga class, I defi nitely

worked up a sweat doing my undoubtedly

laughable versions of each posture.

Rubin, who once studied with Katonah

Yoga Center’s Michaan (and now studies

with Friend), refl ects her former teacher’s

style of talking students through poses

as she circulates throughout the room,

encouraging and gently correcting alignment

as needed. Her uplifting teaching method

made me feel glad to be there, in spite of the

pain infl icted by my too-tight hamstrings.

Paul Beeken, a 50-year-old physics

teacher at Bryam Hills High School who

has been taking classes at Sage for the

last couple of years, says there are many

benefi ts to studying yoga. “I feel trimmer

and more relaxed,” he says. “And, like the

martial arts [that I used to study], I fi nd

the strenuous postures clear the chatter

and settle my thinking.” I had to agree that

certain poses cleared my chatter as well—

only in my case, it was replaced with a

silent scream. Of course, Sage also offers

resources

Katonah Yoga Center

Cost: $15–$25/class, depending

on the teacher. Good to know:

Schedule updated daily on web-

site. Details: 39 Main St.; Bed-

ford Hills; 241-3413; katonah

yogacenter.com.

Golden Temple

Cost: $20/class; must be pur-

chased in a 6-, 7-, or 8-week series.

Good to know: Pre-registration

is required; call before attending

your fi rst class. Details: 223 Katonah

Ave.; Katonah; 232-3473;

goldentempleyoga.com.

Bikram Yoga Yorktown Heights

Cost: $20/class; discount series

available. Good to know: Bring

water. Showers are available.

Details: 37 Triangle Center;

Yorktown Heights; 245-5405;

bikramyorktown.com.

Sage Seasonal Yoga

Cost: $20/class; discount series

available. Good to know: There is a

changing room with shower; mas-

sage is offered. Details: 6 Maple

Ave.; Armonk; 730-7243;

armonkyoga.com.

Bedford Yoga

Cost: $18/class; discount series

available. Good to know: There is

a changing room, but no shower.

Details: 55 Oliver Rd.; Bedford;

234-6224; bedfordyoga.com.

AER Yoga & Living

Cost: $20/class; discount series

available. Good to know: Also

offers massage, and meditation

and breathing workshops.

Details: 792 Rte. 35;

Cross River; 763-6320;

aeryoga.com. AER

PHO

TOG

RAPH

BYG

INA

KEI

R

38 INTOWN 2006 northern westchester

classes for beginners—which is where I

plan to head next time.

BEDFORD YOGABEDFORD

Adding yet another fl avor to the

variety of styles practiced in North-

ern Westchester is Bedford Yoga, where

Cynthia Worby and her staff adhere to

Iyengar yoga, which teaches asanas accord-

ing to the instruction of B.K.S. Iyengar.

This style is distinguished by the frequent

use of props to facilitate learning—and

they are in wide evidence in Worby’s

studio, which is attached to her contem-

porary-style home, nestled in the Bedford

woods. The studio, which is about 675

square feet, looks even larger since a mir-

ror covers one wall. Props are everywhere,

with rope pulleys hanging in one corner

and blocks and belts stored in cubbies.

At first I thought the whole prop idea

sounded a little nutty—until, that is, I

tried it. There I sat during a recent class

with my block next to me, ready to get

into bridge pose, as directed by Cathy

Eising, our teacher. For this one, you lie

on your back with knees bent, then lift

your hips as high as possible. Sounds

easy, right? Well, if your back has the flex-

ibility of a stapler, as mine does, it’s not.

Enter my brick-sized block, which Eising

directed me to insert under my sacrum.

Sure...if...I could only...lift high enough...

to get...the damned thing...under there.

I made the effort, and succeeded. At first

it was a little uncomfortable, but I told

myself to relax, focus on my breathing,

and what do you know, I was able to

remain in that position for a few min-

utes. You may be thinking, Big deal,

right? I didn’t do the work, the block

did. Wrong. I still received the benefits

of holding my body in that position (e.g.,

increasing flexibility of the spine and

strengthening the back). When it came

time for me to remove the block, I was

actually able to lift even higher, holding

that position for a few seconds. I felt like

a kid riding her bike for the first time!

As Worby explains the Iyengar philoso-

phy, “The purpose is to achieve the best

alignment and the best pose possible

so that you don’t injure yourself and

receive the maximum benefit.”

This style is believed to work especially

well for people who are injured or recover-

ing from an illness. It’s even helped some

students heal. Chris Kuehne, 59, a fee-

only fi nancial advisor who lives in Pound

Ridge, says that for 10 years he suffered

from shoulder pain. His doctor suggested

physical therapy, but Kuehne decided to

try classes at Bedford Yoga instead. “I knew

yoga was gentle and I thought there would

be less chance of increasing the injury,” he

says. “After three months of classes, the

pain I’d had for 10 years was gone.”

AER YOGA & LIVINGCROSS RIVER

This studio is the newest kid on the

yoga block, created by registered yoga

teachers Basil Jones and Laura Cashel,

as part of AER Living in Yellow Monkey

Village. The studio itself oozes cozy coun-

try charm, with wide wood fl oor planks

and a wrought-iron chandelier hang-

ing overhead. The focus here is ashtanga

and vinyasa yoga. How are they different?

At the studios mentioned thus far, what

you typically do is strike a pose and hold

it. With these styles, students execute a

steady fl ow of poses, for example, mov-

ing quickly from downward dog into

upward facing dog and then on to the next

one. It’s a more aerobic form of yoga and

is best reserved for students who have a

solid understanding of and ability to carry

out the basic asanas with some ease.

Jones is a popular teacher, so I was

eager to try one of his classes. I signed

up for a noontime “Basics” class, know-

ing instinctively that if I tried vinyasa I’d

OPPOSITE PAGE: AER YOGA IN YELLOW MONKEY

VILLAGE OFFERS CLASSES FOR KIDS. THIS PAGE,

BELOW: SUSAN RUBIN OF SAGE SEASONAL YOGA

& MEDITATION CENTER IN ARMONK HELPS STRETCH

SAGE’S CO-DIRECTOR, WENDY BOLLER.

probably come out in a stretcher. We started

by sounding an inhibition-releasing “om”

before moving into the poses. Jones is also an

eclectic teacher, drawing on a variety of yoga

styles to bring as much depth as possible

to his teaching. So even though this wasn’t

an Iyengar class, he did have us use props

to help us increase fl exibility. Lying on the

fl oor, we looped a long belt around one foot,

extended that leg in the air and then pulled

on the ends of the belt to help us straighten

it; all the while Jones peppered his instruc-

tion with thoughts meant to encourage us to

work beyond the physical and increase self-

awareness. “The practice helps you get to the

heart of who you really are,” he said as we

switched legs. “It’s getting to the essence of our

being, not our roles and responsibilities

and stresses.” My leg was still a bit bent,

but my spirit defi nitely felt nourished.

At the end of class we lay on our mats

as Jones guided us in a meditation. One

unexpected surprise came when he laid

a lavender-scented cloth over my eyes,

readjusted my head and pressed my

shoulders down. Bliss!

www.intownconnect.com INTOWN 2006 39